30-Nov-07

They Dream of Disney?

The suburban Pittsburgh Upper St. Clair School District has settled on how they will honor Ronald Reagan after three years of discussions. They’d pondered naming a school or a theatre after the late President, but have decided on a “Hall of Presidents.” Just what the Hall will contain isn’t clear, but the Board President says they may be able to fill it for nothing:

“”We’re hoping that Congressman Tim Murphy, who strongly supported the memorializing of Reagan and offered to find federal funding [on the earlier project] and [state] Representative [John] Maher can help us. It’s possible, I think, the net cost to the district will be zero.””

30-Nov-07

Sword of the Republic,Sheathed

The Washington Post sends us hurtling back in time to the white hot passions of the Clinton Impeachment Trial. One time Impeachment Trial Manager James Rogin lost his House seat in the wake of the trial, and is now a state judge in California.

He’s been reaching out to Bill Clinton, in what the Post presents as a comeback strategy in service of Rogin’s wish to be a federal judge. He sent Clinton photographs and impeachment memorabilia, and after Clinton’s heart surgery Rogin sent a copy of his book and flowers. Clinton responded with graceful thank you notes.

“It’s almost as if Rogan has been slowly apologizing over the past decade for his role in the impeachment, a critical reason for his defeat in the 2000 elections. It also may well cost Rogan, now a California state judge, a lifetime appointment to the federal bench…More than thank-you notes, Rogan needs Clinton’s blessing to move forward his nomination to the U.S. District Court for the Central District of California.”

But then the paper mentions Rogin’s real problem, the block on his nomination by California Democratic Senator Barbara Boxer.

“She declines to say whether her distaste for the impeachment crusade against Clinton has anything to with her opposition to [Rogin’s] nomination…Boxer’s spokeswoman, Natalie Ravitz, tells On the Hill that it’s all about Rogan’s anti-liberal record on the environment, guns and labor, which she said is “completely out of sync” with California.”

So the Post tells a lovely story, with no there there. How sucking up to Clinton, who has no Senate vote, advances Rogin is mysterious.

And why Boxer, whose daughter is divorced from Clinton’s brother-in-law, would be won over by flowers for Bill is unclear.

Romney wrapped himself in Reagan’s banner and responded with his own interesting read on history:

“Ronald Reagan would have never raised taxes like Mike Huckabee did, Ronald Reagan would have never said let’s give tuition breaks to illegals like Mike Huckabee did, Ronald Reagan would have never stood by and pushed for a budget that more than doubled during his term as president.”